1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally, to medical appliances. More particularly, it relates to a knee bandage that provides support for a knee cap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional bandage has a self-adhesive surface covered by a protective film that is peeled off when the bandage is to be applied to the skin of a patient or trauma victim. Typically, a square or rectangular piece of gauze is adhered to the bandage, mid-length thereof; the gauze may be covered by the protective film, covered by an extension of the protective film, or left uncovered.
A piece of gauze is quite thick relative to the thickness of a bandage. Accordingly, a conventional bandage is not ideally suited for knee injuries because the gauze can displace the patella, causing or aggravating an injury thereto.
What is needed, then, is a bandage having special utility as a knee bandage. The needed bandage would not cause displacement of the patella but would support it against movement instead.
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art how the needed improvement could be provided.